Paper bottle



H. J. REITER PAPER BOTTLE Filed Nay. 15;v 1939 June 24, 1941*.

V/N VEA/Taf? Zferzrg Jei'er:

ifi/4 Patented June 24, 194.1

Henry J. Reiter, Philadelphia,

Brown a Bailey Company, P

Pa., assignor to hiladelphia, Pa.,

a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 15, 1939, Serial No. 304,475

Claims.

This invention relates to paper or cardboard bottles of the `general type disclosed in United States Letters Patent 2,079,875 and 2,079,876 lssued to me May 11, 1937, and is more particularly concerned with improving the leak-proof qualities of such bottles. These latter now customarily have a reinforcement of flexible sheet material glued to the upper part of their inner surface and a pouring opening in this reinforcement and the adjacent wall, with hinged, superposed aps defined by partly cutout portions of these parts cooperating to keep the opening sealed until the consumer wishes to use some of or all the contents of the bottle. Then the lower edge of the outer ap is first lifted away from the bottle wall and next pulled upwardly to progressively detach it Vtherefrom until it lifts the inner ilap out of the 'opening in the reinforcement after which by partially inverting the bottle the contents can be poured; to subsequentlypreserve any remaining porLtion of the contents the outer ap can be pressed down to initial position thereby again forcing the inner flap into the opening in the reinforcement to close the latter.

These bottles are manufactured by automatic machines in enormous quantities but although they have gone into wide-spread use it has been found that leakage of the contents sometimes takes place in the vicinity of the outer r:Ilap coverlng the pouring opening. This is very objectionable since when it occurs thel contents, usually milk, tend to seep down the wall of the bottle below the flap and collect at its base, thus not only defacing the appearance of the bottle itself but rendering it sticky and unsanitary and deilling the refrigerator or other `receptacle in which it is stored. But whether or not such leakagewill occur in avgiven bottle cannot ordinarily be determined in advance of its being filled and sealed since the conditions which cause it are usually due to the bending ofthe material duringv i the sealing operation.' Moreover as the leakage takes place slowly it may not be evident, though flap is formed, is

method of constructing the bottlesV heretofore I employed the reinforcement, in which the inner that is, from its outside toward its inside in the same direction that the other scores are made-in the blank; the blank `1s then formed up and glued to produce the body of the bottle which is next waterproofed by diping in liquid parafiine or similar material, thus `placing it in condition for filling and subsequent sealing. During the sealing operation the reinforcement is bent transversely inwardly along an inwardly indented score line common to it and the blank proper and pulls away at this line from the surface to which it has been glued so that a channel is formed adjacent the fold line through which the fluid contents of the bottle can subsequently seep inwardly toward the flap and thence out of the bottle through the perforations defining the latter or else the fibers of the material of the reinforcement are separated internally by the strain set 1 up in bending it so that the score line, that the extremity of the flap will tend fluid can easily penetrate edgewise through the material itself with a like result. It is essential, however, that the flap which extends over the fold line to a point in the side wall of the bottle'be defined in such wayv from the adjacent material, as by a suitable to spring outwardly from the bottle so that a finger nail or the like can readily be inserted beneath it when it is desired to lift it, for if the none the less present, for several hours after the n from the bottle wall or from separation of the .i

fibers of the material of which the reinforcement is made or from both, which enable the fluid contents'of the bottle to travel inwardly from the lateral edge of the reinforcement to the vicinity, of the outer ilap and thence seep outwardly onto the surface of the bottle. This is because in the construction is such as to cause it to hug the bottle the lifting of the flap becomes a too diiilcult and annoying operation for the consumer and thus detracts from the saleabilty of the bottle.-

It is therefore an object of my invention to obviate this leakage by so constructing the bottle that the edge portions of the inner reinforcement are maintained in 'fluid-tight relation with the bottle walls at all; times, especially in the areas in which-they intersect the lines of fold of the latter, and that any tendency of the fibers of the material of which the reinforcement is made to separate internally and thus make it more than normally duid-conductive is negatived.

, Another object is to provide the bottle with an outer flap for the pouring opening so arranged that whatever tendency it may have to separate from the'bottle wall is exerted in the direction to` facilitate the opening of the ap to thereby afford easy access to the bottle contents.

Other objects, purposes and advantages of the invention will hereinafter more fully appear or be understood from the following description of scored toward` its inner face,l

. venient access to the reinforcement 24 by indenting mediate portion the preferred embodiment of it illustrated in accompanying drawing, in which i Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of the upper part of the bottle after lling and sealing;

Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively fragmentary ver tical sections on lines 2-2 and 3 3 in Fig. i;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan View of the blank from which the bottle is formed;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper part of the bottle on a smaller scale than Fig. i. and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional perspective view, generally corresponding to Fig. 2, of a bottle of the type heretofore employed.

In the several figures like characters are used to designate the same parts and in some, to facilitate explanation, the relative thickness oi7 materials is considerably exaggerated.

The bottle of my invention shown in Figs. l-5 is formed from the blank illustrated in Fig. 4 which comprises four sidepanels i, 2, 3 and i arranged side by side and defined from each other by vertical scores 5, 6 and 'i and a glue lap t projecting from panel t and defined therefrom by a the score 9. The side panels and glue lap respectively carry bottom flaps and a tab (not shown) which are folded inwardly to make the imttom of the bottle after the side panels have been folded in a hollow square and glue lap 3 glued to panel i. The upper ends of the side panels and glue lap carry extensions lli-it inclusive separated from these parts by a transverse score l5 beginning at a point i6 spaced from the free edge of panel i fa distance substantiallyl equal to the width of @the glue lap and extending therefrom across the remainder of panel I as well as across panels 2, 3, t to merge into a knife score il in the glue lap. Score i5 where it crosses panel 2 is of special form as will be hereinafter more fully explained butscores 5, 6, 7, S and other scores in the extensions are substantially like those heretofore utilized in bottles of the same general type as exemplified by my said prior patents, being made by depressing the blank toward that surface which is to become the inside of the bottle; they therefore require no further description.

Extension il of panel 2 is further transversely scored at and perforated at 2l to dene a U- shaped hinged ap 22 extending from score 2B in the upper part of the ex-tension to a point in panel 2 a short distance below score I5 Where a recess 23 is cut out of the panel to afford conedge of flap 22 preparatory to raising it. Underlying the general area. in which flap 22 is formed is areinforcement 24 of substantially the same material as lthe blank itself. This reinforcement is glued to the blank for some distance inwardly of its perimeter and has formed in it an inner nap 25 which is glued to outer flap 22 and defined/from the rest of the reinforcement by a constricted U-shaped out 26 and a transverse score 21 substantially coincident with hinge score 2U of the outer flap. Referring now more specifically to the transverse score i5, it will be apparent from Fig. 4 that its character changes at the edges of panel 2 and also adjacent the edges of outer flap 22; that is, preferably on either side of flap22 and between it and the edges of the panel convex scores I5a, I5b are formed in the blank and the the material from beneath as viewed in Fig. 4, instead of from` above, which is the way the other scores in the blank are indented, for example scores 5, 6, 1, the inter- I5c of score l5 Where it crosses bent toward the side from which asserts flap 22 and the remainder of score i5 in the other panels. In other words, -the last mentioned scores are so formed as to present convex ridges on the inside face of the blank and parts i5a, iiib of score I5 to present concave grooves.

As a result of this construction, when extension H of' panel 2' is folded inwardly after the bottle has been iilled, portions ita, |5b of score i5 between nap 22 and the edges of the panel are they were indented and reinforcement Ztl is therefore crowded into the corner formed by the panel and extension as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 with consequent compacting of the bers of the material. A huid-tight joint is thus assured between the reinforcement and bottle wall at these points. Flap 22 is scored at i5c in the opposite direction, however, so its outer surface is slightly stretched during this bending, which induces in its lower part a slight tendency to spring outwardly away from reinforcement 2li thereby ,facilitating insertion of the finger nail or a suitable pointed instrument between these parts for opening the bottle. Thus while vedges of the reinforcement are held tightly against the bottle wall at the corners formed by the panel 2 and its extension and leakage of the iiuid contents at these points therefore positively inhibited, facility in opening the bottle is not impaired as would be the case were part Ic of score i5 made in the same Way as parts ia and l5b.

To demonstrate more clearly the manner in which my invention eliminates the disadvantage reinforcement 2d of the prior bottles to which I have referred, there is shown in Fig. 6 a fragmentary perspective section of such bottle. In this figure, corresponding generally to Fig. 2, the manner in which very frequently springs away from the corner formed by panel 2' and its extension Il when these parts are bent up is clearly apparent, a horizontal generally arcuate channel 8B between the reinforcement and the bottle wall being thereby produced through which the contents can travel inwardly in opposite directions toward iiap 22' and finally leak out around its edges. Sometimes, however, reinforcement 2t may adhere to the bottle wall so that no such channel isv formed but instead the fibers of the reinforcement separate internally under the bending strain and the fluid contents then travel toward ap 22' through the reinforcement it'self with resultant leakage of the bottle contents in a generally similar way. While in' my improved bottle such separation of the reinforcement from the wall panel, or its internal separation, may likewise occur along score |50 in the area underlying outer iiap 22, as indicated in Fig. 3, this areaof the reinforcement is remote from its lateral edge portions which adhere tightly to the bottle and prevent the contents traveling inwardly to score |50; separation of the parts or internal separation of the reinforcement in this area is of course immaterial from the standpoint of leakage.

It will thus be evident that after my improved bottle has been filled and its top folded and sealed Ias indicated in Fig. 5, flap 22 may readily be lifted outwardly to separate it on perforations 2| from adjacent wall extension I I and then moved about the hinge formed by 'its score 20, inner flap 25, glued thereto and cut and scored from reinforcement 24, moving concurrently about its hinge score 21 to enable the contents of the bottle to be merely pressed downwardly and under normal the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States:

l. A paper bottle having a top closure and a wall panel, an extension integral therewith forming part of the top closure and defined from the panel by a score indented outwardly from the inner surface of the bottle, a hinged outer flap integral with and partially severed from the extension and panel, a reinforcement secured at its edge portions to the extension and panel and scored in conformity with the first menangularly from the upper edge of the panel, an outer flap conforming to the angularityf of and partially severed from said parts and hinged to the extension adjacent a pouring opening, a reinforcement also substantially conforming to said angularity within the bottle, having its edge tioned score, a hinged inner flap partially severed from the reinforcement, secured to the outer flap and adapted to -be raised therewith to expose a pouring opening, the reinforcement and outer flap having registering scores indented oppositely to said rst mentioned score extending in prolongation thereof, said scored parts being folded angularly inward along said scores whereby said edge portions of the reinforcement are compressed against the panel and extension at the line of fold. defined by said scores.

2. In a bottle formed of bendable sheet material, a panel having anintegral extension, a reinforcement secured to said parts, and hinged inner and outer flaps partially severed from the reinforcement and from the panel and extension respectively and liftable about a commomaxis to expose a pouring opening, the extension and part of the reinforcement lying at an angle to said panel and to the remainder of the reinforcement'and being defined therefrom by scores coincident with. the vertex of said angle, the reinforcement having adjacent its edge a score indented toward the exterior of the bottle whereby the reinforcement is compacted proxi.- mate said score against the panel and extension at said vertex, the outer nap and underlying part of the reinforcement being scored in the opposite direction coincident with said vertex.

3. In a bottle, a wall panel formed of bendable sheet material, an integral extension projecting i portions intimately secured to the panel and extension and compacted toward the vertex of the angle formed thereby, and an inner flap partially severed from the reinforcement and secured to the outer flap to expose saidpouring opening when the flaps are raised, the outer flap and reinforcement in the area between said compacted edge portions being bent inwardly away from the vertex of said angle to thereby urge the extremity of the outer flap outwardly of the wall panel.

4. In a paper bottle, a plurality of wall panels and extensions respectively defined by scores indented in a common vdirection transversely of the blank from which the bottle is formed, another panel with an extension defined therefrom .in part by a score indented in the opposite direction to said scores and in part by a score indented in the same direction," a reinforcement secured to and underlyinglthe panel and extension and correspondingly scored coincident with the last mentioned scores whereby when the extension is bent about said last mentioned scores and toward the reinforcement in sealing the bottle, the reinforcement is crowded toward the line of bending in the vicinity of said oppositely indented score. a ap being defined from said other panel and extension by a partial severing intersecting the line of bend proximate the junctions of said oppositely indented scores and overlying the reinforcement, and a flap partially severed from the reinforcement and secured to the first flap.

5. In a blank for a paper bottle, a plurality of Wall panels and extensions respectively defined by iscores indented in a common direction, another panel with an extension defined from it by scores indented in the opposite direction adjacent the lateral edges of the extension and: by a score indented in the same direction intermediate said edges, a reinforcement secured adjacent' its edges to said other panel and extension, lcomprising parts defined from each other by like scores whereby when the extension is bent relatively to the panel toward the reinforcement and along said scores the reinforcement is compacted adjacent its edges in the vicinity of said oppositely directed scores, a flap being defined in the panel and extension having edges intersecting the junctions of said oppositely indented scores and another ap defined in the reinforcement and secured to` the rst flap. y

HENRY J. REITER.. 

